Vietnam is well known as one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, and a cornerstone of this growth is foreign direct investment (FDI). The Nikkei Asian Review noted that in 2018, FDI reached USD 19.1 billion—a sixth straight annual record.

Despite the booming economy and the vast sums making their way into Vietnam, the country should still be considered a “high-risk” jurisdiction as far as compliance is concerned. Investors in the country need to understand the on-the-ground realities and risks of corruption in Vietnam, as well as the complex and often confusing regulatory environment that governs all aspects of business activity.

John Frangos, partner and deputy director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution team, addresses these issues and more in the Vietnam chapter of Asia-Pacific Investigations Review 2020, a guide to the important issues in internal and government investigations across the Asia-Pacific, published by Global Investigations Review.

The analysis presents an overview of each of the four primary compliance risks in Vietnam (anti-corruption, regulatory compliance, employee fraud, and corporate criminal liability) and discusses topics such as how foreign investors can minimize their risks, anti-corruption legislation, and bribery risks—including considerations of the FCPA and UKBA.

The chapter, extracted from the 2020 edition of Asia-Pacific Investigations Review, is available as a PDF below. The whole publication is available at the Global Investigations Review website.